OLCA Agri-Cultural Center's AgriCultural Community Center

Welcome to the OLCA Agri-Cultural Center, a local community based & managed Hawai’i 501(c)3. All gifts and financial donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by U.S. law. Tax ID / EIN: 84-4691451.

Orchidland’s OLCA and OLCA Community Lot Development Committee (CLDC) are working in conjunction to build a fully ADA accessible community center where Orchidland can host their own farmers market, food hub, community kitchen, cultural education seminars, covered mailboxes & in person events. A place where people can come and learn or promote the historical, indigenous, agricultural history & methodologies that promote food self sustainability for Big Island living.

Brief history, in 2000, the OLCA Community lot, 2-acres, at the corner of Orchidland Drive and 36th Ave. was purchased. And a special use permit was approved by the County. By 2014 the lot was almost forgotten and had been overgrown with vegetation.

In 2015, a major shift transpired with the OLCA Board of Directors. The lot was cleaned-up, graded and maintained. By 2016, the monthly OLCA Harvest Share event began. Added from 2018 – 2020 — the Farmers Market and Semi-Annual Membership potlucks and meetings.

From 2016-2020 all monthly events were held under 20’x40′ pole tents, tents erected by OLCA Board members prior to each event. Permanent pavilions were needed but but funding was limited.

In 2020, the OLCA Board approved the formation of the OLCA Agri-Cultural Center, a 501c3 — which would help with fundraising, tax-deductible donations, grants and more.

In 2021, working together, the site plans for the OLCA Community Center were approved by the County. And we were back on track with the stated goals of the 2000 special use permit.

In 2022, Ke’Ohu Media was brought aboard to create the OLCA Agri-Cultural Center website, grant writing and more.

We are now moving forward to fundraise and build an ADA compliant, Orchidland Agri-Cultural Community Center that will serve the community in multiple, beneficial ways and for many years to come.

Note, from 2020 – 2022, Covid-19 concerns and state restrictions shut down the OLCA monthly gatherings.

The monthly Orchidland Community Farmers Market is scheduled to reopen August 2022.

The primary “Permanent Pavilion”, which will be 4800 sq. ft. (40’x120’) will give the volunteer tent crews a long awaited and well deserved break.

This physical and ideal Puna location and space will provide the Orchidland community & surrounding residents a permanent and convenient location for Agricultural and Economic benefits that our rural area needs. A good and pono space to share, grow food & come together, Hoʻākoakoa.

Orchidland estates on the Big Island of Hawai’i occupies 9 square miles in the area known as the Puna District. Agriculturally zoned parcels vary in size from 2 acres to 3 acres. Orchidland’s elevation ranges from about 350 ft to 950 ft. The average annual rain fall in Orchidland is about 100 to 148 inches per year, which makes it a wonderful location for a wide variety of agricultural solutions.

The ‘OLCA‘ is the acronym for Orchidland Community Association. This website represents the ‘OLCA-ACC’ or Orchidland Agri-Cultural Community Center. The Board of Directors of the OLCA and their OLCA CLDC (Community Lot Development Committee) are the same community residents and individuals wearing two hats with common long term goals for improving services for the Orchidland Estates Community. The OLCA Community Lot Development Committee (CLDC) represents the community associations nonprofit (501c4) and the OLCA-ACC represents this website and it’s separate (501c3) non-profit status, which is able to receive tax deductible donations for the Agri-Cultural Community Center to be built on the Community Lot on the Corner of 36th Avenue and Orchidland Drive, Keaau HI 96749.

The (40’x120’) pavilion will give the OLCA tent crews a well deserved break after five (5) years. And will allow the OLCA AGRI-CULTURAL CENTER to host weekly educational programs as well as continue to serve as additional location for the Harvest Share / Farmers Market and more.

The (40’x80′) pavilion will serve as a multi-purpose structure for a “Puna Community Food Hub”, food storage, preparation kitchen, office space and ADA compliant restrooms and covered walkways.

A (30’x90′) single slope pavilion is planned to provide shelter for the mailboxes as well. Something all the residents of the community can certainly benefit from while checking their mail during a rainstorm.

From there the possibilities are limitless, everyone in our community will be able to benefit from the OLCA Agri-Cultural Center.